December 6, 2019 Issue

The

Grizzly Growler

TWITTER: @SVGrizzlyGrowlr

INSTA: @THEGRIZZLYGROWLER

Serving spRING VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL 3750 S. Buffalo Drive, las vegas, nv 89147

Thegrizzlygrowler.org

december 6, 2019

volume 11 issue 2

Let’s talk about therapy Hana Helfand Co-Editor-in Chief During a routine sports physical, Leah Obine’s doctor asked her if she had ever struggled with depression or anxiety.

Before being asked, Obine hadn’t considered the possibility of underlying stress affecting her life.

But following the physical, her mother posed the question again, and Obine realized that she had, in fact, felt stressed and anxious, particularly about starting track and field.

Her realization prompted the senior to start attending therapy, something that’s helped her sort through her depression and periods of anxiety for the past two years. “[Therapy is] not for crazy people,” Obine said. “There is a connotation to … the word ‘therapy,’ which is … there’s something wrong with you, and there’s not always something wrong. It’s also not a fad. My dad wasn’t completely open to the idea of me having therapy or going to therapy, but it’s not like a fashion statement. It’s not a trend. It’s a genuine piece of medicine that is going to help a lot of people.”

Obine is part of a growing population of teenagers who struggle with their mental health. According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 37% of modern

teenagers reported that they’ve sought treatment for mental health issues.

This contrasts the 26% of Gen Xers (1965-1980), 22% of baby boomers (1946-1964) and 15% of older adults who reported similarly.

Although students cite different reasons for attending therapy, such as family stress and academics, many agree that some of the reasons feel generational.

Obine, the vice president of Spectrum, Spring Valley’s gay-straight alliance, also said that the pressures of coming out can cause a lot of stress for young members of the LGBT community.

“With the LGBT community, you’re dealing with a lot of oppression, and especially in adolescent LGBT’s,” Obine said. “The subject of mental health is something that we focus on a lot because it’s necessary [in] communities like that, recognizing that there’s an increasing concern for mental health.

There could be a lot of fear and, you know, like the subject of coming out.

That’s a whole problem that, depending on your family, you could be dealing with a lot of anxiety and fear over.

That’s where I see teenagers talking about it more.”

For another Spring Valley sophomore, who asked to remain anonymous, the

See THER APY Page 6

2

NEWS

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

december 6, 2019

SOL shines positive light on Latinos

Club focuses on accurate representation of Hispanic cultures Laura Solsona News Editor As cultural talks spread throughout the nation, one in four Latinos feel their daily discrimination is being overlooked, according to a 2017 study conducted

by Harvard University. When applying for jobs, 33% of Latinos said they felt personally discriminated against.

When paying rent, 31% said they faced discrimination, and 27% saw discrimination when interacting with the police.

But one group on campus is trying to counteract the negativity and make Spring Valley students feel like they belong. “[Latinos] get a lot of recognition, but for the wrong reasons… via republican rhetoric about illegal aliens... It’s horrifying,” SOL president, Pato Gonzalez said.

“We are not classified in the media as people, clearly, and it’s affecting much of how people see us in everyday life. And it’s not how it should be. It’s not how I want people to see me. I would not want to sit by and see fellow brothers and sisters be racially profiled and unfairly treated just for being Mexican.”

After two years of quiet operation, the Student Organization of Latinos, known as SOL, is gaining more popularity around campus. The club, which focuses on Latino unity, participates in many different activities to bring Latinos together and showing them they are not alone.

“Latin America has always been characterized as having wars within each other,” SOL President Patricio Gonzales said. “Because Latin American cultures are always discriminant of different cultures, we don’t want that in this country and we don’t want that… in this club… we’re all sharing the same root culture.”

The environment of the club is open to all students regardless of their ethnicity. Every Friday in room 311, a group of Latinos can be found learning more about

themselves and others around them. Traditional games like “Toma todo” (Winner takes all) and

Courtesy of Ms. Diane Hardy Sunrise High School performs traditional mariachi music in the main quad on October 9 in an event organized by Spring Valley’s SOL organization.

“ponerle la cola al burro” (pin the tail on the donkey), are a part of how SOL brings people together. While the club focuses on fun and unity, it also includes conversations about pressing issues the community faces, including immigration.

Latinos are not the only ones facing the problems of racial profiling, many Asian American and African American students are also dealing with these problems.

“I see so many kids, for example, from different countries in Africa, different countries in Asia they’re dealing with the exact same struggle Latino families are,” SOL advisor Diane Hardy said. “It’s not just a problem for the Latino community.

I’ve had many kids tell me stories of incidents that they faced. And in talking to the leadership or the advisors of the BSU, a lot of black students face those same things. I do think there are a lot of people on the staff that are working really hard to make positive change for all of our kids here, regardless of background.

A great thing about SV though, is there’s a lot of opportunities, and SOL is an opportunity.”

As a teacher and confidant of many student immigrants, Hardy feels the weight of deportation threats more than others who are not exposed to it. SOL takes situations like this seriously, as most of the members in the club are of Latino descent.

“I see the reality the immigrant children live in, even in our school,” Hardy said. “I mean, I literally, in my career have held kids in my arms after their mothers have been deported. And there’re just no words that you can use.

I just found out about another student having a relative deported yesterday.”

Laura Solsona SOL participates in a Dia De Los Muertos celebration with an ofrenda in the library.

Many non-caucasian people in the United States have expressed their concern for the way many races have been portrayed since President Donald Trump took office. According to a 2017 study

by NBC News, 62% of Latino news since the Trump administration took office in 2016 has been negative. Whether or not the Latino community gets recognition is not the question; instead it’s whether it affects perception negatively or not at all. Many immigrants, like Gonzalez, seem to lean towards the negative thought.

According to Hardy, she wouldn’t be surprised if many students were willing to protest over the negative comments and ideals the government seems to be sponsoring, which sometimes translates into their school lives.

“When I hear a kid’s name mispronounced, it’s very uncomfortable to me because… the most basic form of recognition is being able to say their

names,” Hardy said. “But… a lot of kids from immigrant cultures would never correct their teacher so I think teachers need to ask, how do you say your name.

I mean, such a basic acknowledgement of their humanity is to know their names.”

SOL has become such an important part of the lives of many Latino students because of the growing community. For Hardy, the sight of what the club has become over the past two years is a touching one.

“For me ... watching the students just be able to spend time together and share aspects of their culture with each other, it’s really powerful to watch, to watch kids learn more about their family’s own heritage, and then to share that, it’s just, as a teacher, it’s an extraordinary thing to see,” Hardy said.

For the rest of the story go to http://www.thegrizzlygrowler.org.

december 6, 2019

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

NEWS

3

Grant provides free IB testing for all Laura Solsona News Editor Tests for International Baccalaureate students will be free for those who will take all six IB tests or receive help from a federal, state or local program, starting this year.

After an increase in Nevada students taking part in IB, the state applied for federal grant money that would aid in covering the costs.

“All states, every year, get money from the federal government,” IB coordinator Tony Gebbia said. “Every year states determine how they’re going to spend Title IV, and [that] money is specifically used to increase access and provide programs for students. So what we decided to do in Nevada is write our plan to include IB and AP exam fees. So the policy reads, now something like, “any student taking IB will be covered by Title IV funds.”

The grant will cover about $88,000 in test costs for IB seniors graduating in 2020. Without the grant money, each individual exam would’ve cost $119, totaling $712 for a student taking all six exams.

The previous cost of IB exams brought

anxiety to students who were worried about paying before the grant was announced.

“It is very fortunate that our IB exams are free, otherwise, I imagine my parents would not be thrilled about that,” junior Allison Kameda said. “I’m grateful that it’s one less thing for me to worry about.”

Students also said they were more willing to stay in IB because they didn’t have to worry about money and could focus on their studies.

“It becomes more a reason to stay committed to this program,” junior Charmaine Fong said. “The state paid for the exams and I’m sure other students are grateful.”

Senior Sieban Woldegiorgish agreed: “I was not ready to pay the hundreds of dollars for IB exams, so this worked out in my favor because I don’t think it’s right to have us pay that much in the first place, after all the hard work we put into being in the program.”

IB exams will take place from May 1 to May 22 for students graduating in the 2020 school year. The final exams will take place the day after Spring Valley graduation, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 21 at the Orleans Arena.

Core Tests

ACT to allow retakes on individual sections next year Jessica Bui & Eden Andom Staff Editors Students will be able to retake sections of the ACT starting September, 2020.

As of October, 2019, the prices of sectional retakes are not known, but they are cheaper than the ACT retakes with the writing portion and without, $68 and $52 respectively. Along with sectional retakes, there will be more opportunities to retake the test online to get a “superscore”, which is the composite of a student’s highest section scores.

The ACT is the standardized national test used for undergraduate admissions into college and is administered in 130 countries worldwide. Scores range from one to 36, on a composite scale, and it tests a student’s skill level in math, English, reading and Science, and there’s an optional written portion. Students have a higher chance at being admitted into the college of their choice if they have a higher score.

Retaking a section is only available to any student who has previously taken the full test on an ACT Universal Testing Day. Students will still have the option of retaking the whole ACT, but the change is meant to help students who struggle in one or two sections.

The content, duration and number of questions of the ACT section retests are identical to each original ACT section test. There is no limit to the number of times a student may take a retest, as long as they retake it by the last testing day. But students can only take up to three sections per test date.

“I feel like I can study more towards my bad topics than my good topics because if I do happen to do bad[ly] on my good topics,” sophomore Jacob Blight said. “I can still retake them and knowing that I studied really hard on my bad topics.”

A high ACT score can open up opportunities for scholarships. Every point can help take some payment weights from the students if they decide to go to a university that

grants scholarships. The retake provides students the chance to increase their score, creating more scholarship opportunities.

“It’s super beneficial because coming from a counselors standpoint, students have test anxiety,” Sophomore counselor John Tyler said, “Who knows what effect that test performance that specific day. So if they’re able to look at the best performance across time, absolutely I’m all for it. There are certain students that can knock-out a test

in four hours and just be good. There [are] certain students that peter out after two.

There are certain students that have test anxiety and they might tank their first two [sections] and then get into a rhythm the last two [sections].”

Each college and university will have its own policies on superscoring with the new change of retaking sections. ACT officials encourage colleges and universities to add the new superscoring to their score-use

AVERAGE SOPHMORE SCORES THE BREAKDOWN

Average ACT score: 20.8 The ACT score is out of 36, 1 being the worst and 36 being a perfect score. The higher the score, the chances of going to a select college is increased. On average, most scores are 20.8.

AVERAGE SCORES : FALL

Average Fall ACT Score: 13.86 In of Fall 2018-2019, the average ACT score for sophomores was 13.86. This is below average.

AVERAGE SCORES : WINTER

Average Winter ACT Score: 14.88 In of Winter 2018-2019, the average ACT score for sophomores was 14.88.

Though it is still below average, it is an improvement.

WAYS TO IMPROVE

How can students improve their scores?

Students can improve their scores by looking at CERT tutorials. Students could also go to ACT boot camp to prepare for the ACT.

RE AD MO RE AT THE G RIZZL Y GRO WLE R

policy.

Students may experience relief from test anxiety. The stress from having to take a large test will lessen, but there can be drawbacks.

Online retakes will become more available to students who choose to retake the ACT. Though it is optional and solely for the students to be able to do their best on the test, students who take the test online will get their test results and composite scores nearly two business days after the test date.

“Personally, I think bringing the online testing is just a bad implementation of the ACT testing procedure I feel like it causes more room for error,” Sophmore Ashton Antoci said.

“I feel like being able to get [the score] quickly after you take the test, that’s a big positive because, if you’re trying to go to a prestigious college and you don’t get your scores until almost the deadline, then you have minimal time to retake [the ACT], but if you get it quickly, then you can have more time to study and more time to prepare yourself for the college application,” Blight said.

The typical wait for a physical paper and pencil test is close and can range from two to eight weeks, leaving students who are in a time-crunch with more worries. For students interested in applying to college or a university, missing the application deadline by even one day no matter what your GPA or ACT score can be detrimental.

However, this doesn’t mean getting into college will be easier.

“This is just going to create a new platform to go after the superscores, but also, therefore, that also change the standards because of how you’re looking at how everyone’s going to be concentrating and making their scores even better.” junior counselor An Nguyen said, “Does that really help the individual? If you’re going to compete, now the standard has been raised. raised.” junior counselor An Nguyen said.

4

NEWS

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

december 6, 2019

JROTC: New class teaches discipline and respect Haylea Kenitzer Staff Writer The Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps came to Spring Valley in 2019, but it took almost three years of planning, prior to its start. The staff first had to learn how to find the space, funding, student interest, and instruction.

Chemistry teacher, Michael Dambach offered his brother Edward Dambach, retired naval commander, the job.

“There is no military obligation,” Lieutenant Commander Dambach ll USN said.

“The program can help open [students’] eyes to all the options they really have, whether they are trying to compete for a scholarship or they’re just trying to build up their self confidence as they learn personal responsibility and leadership. I see it as a measure of success.”

The NJROTC program has many activities and clubs. Physical Training Team, Unarmed Drill (detail team), Armed Drill, Honor Guard and Color Guard are among them.

Many cadets participate in these events and activities. Being a part of the program’s teams will help with personal skills in life, but it will also give students opportunities to show and use leadership skills.

Students in the Honor and Color Guard will take turns going to events and presenting the colors. The team will show up to events such as home football games, assemblies, parades, competitions and retirement ceremonies at the Nellis Airforce Base.

Freshman Adam Bowman, a dedicated cadet, presents the naval or state flag as a Service Flag Bearer.

“I honor loyalty and friendship in this class,” Bowman said. “I wish to accomplish the building of the program and more activities for the future cadets.”

Junior Anton Figley leads the formation to the next location of the group as

a Right Guard. Figley’s motivation to participate in the color guard is due to his fascination with the history of military marching and the synchronization of rifles and flags in respect to the nation.

“I chose to do Honor Guard because it is nice to know that I am a part of something bigger than myself and spending my time on a team that has value to me,” Figley said.

Junior Deric Fryer protects and presents the American flag, as the national color bearer takes honor in the American flag, and the pride of being a part of the program.

“Being a member of the Color Guard affects several different aspects of my life outside of school through being well disciplined, leadership skills, confidence, creating strong friendships and being able to put this on my resume,” Fryer said.

Junior Dylan Rod Carubio is his own inspiration to take charge of his duty, as he was here from day one of the program, and he will continue to be here until he leaves.

“In the Color Guard, I was the Commander, however I was pouched and became a Left Guard for the Honor Guard,” Carubio said. “Being the Left Guard means I stand close to the Service Flag, that being the Navy flag, protecting it and the rest of the Honor Guard in a sophisticated, refined manner.”

As a member of the team, protecting two flags is more of a mission because the flags are very dear to him, the nation and the military branch. He takes pride Haylea Kenitzer NJROTC’s first established color guard, Deric Fryer, Adam Bowman, Dominic Donato and Anton Figley in JROTC school events for the hard perform for their first home football game on August 30, 2019 against Chaparral High School. work, effort, fun and personal merit.

“I honor the people who participate sense of accomplishment, self discipline Rodriguez, Santiago Godina, Dylan Rod and put in the time for the program, esand other life skills used in and after high Carubio and Michael Quiroz. pecially after school,” Carubio said. “Most school,” Commander Dambach said.

Many students are welcome to join, of all, I appreciate and honor Lieutenant Each cadet actively participating in though being on the team takes time and Commander Dambach for taking up arms JROTC school events has found a place to effort. and leading the program.” build leadership skills, boost self-esteem “The program teaches life skills, great Active cadets who take positions of and show how their hard work pays off. citizenship, development, as well as a the Honor and Color Guard are Xander

AVID to stay despite district cuts Hana Helfand & Isabel Hillers Editors-in-Chief Advancement Via Individual Determination will remain at Spring Valley, despite the decision from Superintendent Jara to cut the funding for the program district-wide.

AVID, the college and career readiness system meant to help students who are first generation college bound or in an under-represented subgroup get accepted to college, will instead be funded by school’s budget, according to Spring Valley principal Tam Larnerd.

“For Spring Valley, if we are going to pay for our own AVID program, which we will because it’s woven into the fabric of the school, it would be probably somewhere between 15 and $20,000,” Larnerd said.

“For a school with a $13.3 million budget, it’s not insurmountable by any stretch of imagination.”

Originally, grant money from the district paid for all AVID resources, such as classroom materials, strategies and teacher training. This money has been put toward other district endeavors, partly because of a lack of understanding of what the program is, according Larnerd. The money will now be taken from what would have been used

to buy new textbooks.

AVID teachers expressed discontent over the budget cut, saying that the program does work for schools.

“I’m disappointed in this decision, mainly because I feel like you should never make a decision for the entire group,” AVID coordinator Melanie Wilkerson said. “If you go to each individual school, and something’s really working for them, why wouldn’t they be able to keep that?”

On a more personal scale, Wilkerson said that she’s seen growth in her students. She recounted a story of twins who joined AVID. No one in their family had graduated from high school.

“I mean, it’s incredible,” Wilkerson said.

“We’re changing lives of students and ... it’s a huge difference to help all kids. … [The twins] worked really hard. They played sports, they did community service, they did everything AVID told them to do. One of them ended up with a full-ride to USC, and the other one has a scholarship and is up at UNR. … Like, that’s just one example.

I see that over and over. … Look how many people we get to help.”

As for the direct effects of the funding cut, Wilkerson doesn’t expect much to change

for Spring Valley.

“As far as field trips or anything like that, the district never funded any of that anyway,” Wilkerson said. “Our classroom sizes, that’s not going to change. … It doesn’t really affect us a whole lot, except for we just have to be more creative on how to get teachers trained.”

Students were also worried about the fate of AVID. Sophomore Amani Gardner, who initially started AVID at Lawrence Middle School, said that the program helped her discover what she wants to do in life.

“AVID … really expanded my learning and my knowledge on what I want to do for my future,” Gardner said. “I’d probably be very upset [if AVID left] because it’s really a class that I look forward to. And it’s like, what other teacher––what other class is going to teach me to be a better person for the future?”

Teachers and students at the school blame the decision to cut funding on not understanding the way AVID works in the classroom.

“You know, I just––I would like them to come see it,” Wilkerson said. “I just really feel that if [Jara] saw what AVID is and an AVID system, that he would truly believe in it.”

AVID by the numbers $15,000

is the appoximate cost to run AVID for one school year.

$5,000

is the cost of the annual site fee for licensing purposes.

$2,000

is the cost per teacher to attend training.

All schools must maintain a certain percent of trained teachers.

$500

covers resources provided by the organization to assist in teaching.

550

is the number of AVID students currently enrolled in the program.

20

percent of Spring Valley students are enrolled in the AVID program.

Español

december 6, 2019

5

SOL es la luz que los Latinos necesitan Club se enfoca en la disminución de discriminación

Laura Solsona News & Español Editor A medida que las conversaciones culturales se extienden por todo el país, uno de cada cuatro latinos sienten que se pasa por alto su discriminación diaria, según un estudio de 2017 realizado por la Universidad de Harvard. Al solicitar empleo, 33% de los latinos dijeron que se sentían personalmente discriminados. Al pagar el alquiler, 31% dijeron que enfrentaba algún tipo de discriminación, y 27% lo sintió al interactuar con la policía.

Sin embargo, un grupo de Spring

Valley está tratando de contrarrestar la discriminación y haciendo todo lo posible para mejorar los ánimos de los estudiantes en el campus. “[Los latinos] reciben mucho reconocimiento, normalmente por las razones equivocadas ... a través de la retórica republicana sobre los extranjeros ilegales… la palabra en sí misma ‘extranjero ilegal’, solo extranjero por sí mismo,” dijo el presidente de SOL, Patricio ‘Pato’ González.

“Es horrible. No estamos siendo clasificados en los medios de noticias como personas,

La guardia de baloncesto Missy May Grimares Valdez tuvo una experiencia con el lado negativo de perder. El 29 de noviembre de 2017, durante su segundo año, Valdez jugó contra el programa rival Liberty High School. Ella comenzó el juego bastante fuerte, pero eso se empezó a deteriorar a partir de la segunda mitad. Según Valdez, a todo el equipo le faltaba ánimo ese juego, simplemente no pudieron tener una oportunidad ni para salvar sus vidas durante el juego y parecía que no había ninguna coneccion entre el equipo.

Perder es una parte natural de ser un atleta. Pero mientras que la mayoría los utilizan como motivador, muchos también luchan contra su salud mental como resultado. Valdez es parte de la creciente población de estudiantes-atletas que sufren de problemas como depresión,

3750 S. Buffalo Drive Las Vegas, NV 89147 702-799-2580 Student circulation: 2,670 Staff circulation: 120 Copies: Free around campus Check us out online: www.thegrizzlygrowler.org @svgrizzlygrowlr @thegrizzlygrowler

Para terminar de leer el artículo puedes ir a la pagina web del Grizzly Growler, www. thegrizzlygrowler.org

“Yo pienso que la representacion de los estudiantes latinos en Spring Valley a mejorado en los ultimos años cantidad.

Esto es gracias, en la mayor parte, a los estudiantes que participan en activismo en la escuela y lo que a demonstrado. igual que la promocion de la conciencia cultural en el distrito escolar.”

Senior Karina Morales

Senior Benjamin Rivas

ansiedad y trastornos alimenticios, perpetrados por su participación en deportes.

"Me sentí un poco decepcionado en mí misma porque era un juego grande para nosotras y era un juego que no debimos haber perdido", dijo Valdez. "Hubo un par de juegos [donde] simplemente no lo sentía y las prácticas simplemente sentía los movimientos. Simplemente no podía encontrar la felicidad en lo que estaba haciendo".

Lo que le pasó a Valdez es conocido en el mundo del deporte como una caída del rendimiento, un período de regresión debido a las luchas con salud mental que pueden manifestarse en problemas de autoestima y la presión para rendir bien, (SportsPsychologyToday). Estos períodos pueden ser tan cortos como unos pocos días o tan largos como años.

Para terminar de leer el artículo puedes ir a la pagina web del Grizzly Growler, www.thegrizzlygrowler.org

The Grizzly Growler December 6, 2019 Volume 11 Issue 2

obviamente, y está afectando una gran parte de cómo nos ven las personas en la vida cotidiana. Y no es como debería ser.

No es como quiero que la gente me vea.

No me gustaría sentarme y ver a otros hermanos y hermanas ser racialmente perfilados y tratados injustamente solo por ser mexicanos.”

Después de dos años de operación tranquila, la Organización Estudiantil de Latinos, también conocida como SOL, está ganando más popularidad alrededor del campus. El club, que se centra en la unidad

“Me parece que los problemas de los latinos son ignorados dentro de esta escuala. Si nos estamos enfrentando a algun problema familiar, si algunos estudiantes de primera generacion estan teniendo problemas, nadie entiende nuestro esfuerzo.”

Atletas hablando de los sentiminetos afuera del campo de deportes Emilia Mason & Derek Raridon Traducida por Laura Solsona

latina, participa en muchas actividades diferentes con el objetivo de unir a los latinos y mostrarles que no están solos.

“América Latina siempre se ha caracterizado por tener guerras entre sí”, dijo Gonzales. “Debido a que las culturas latinoamericanas son siempre discriminatorias de diferentes culturas, no queremos eso en este país y no queremos eso ... en este club ... todos compartimos la misma cultura”.

The contents of this newspaper do not reflect the opinions of Spring Valley High School or its staff. The Grizzly Growler is published by students and is printed by Creel Printing.

The Grizzly Growler is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Southern Nevada Society of Journalists and National Scholastic Press Association.

La sonrisa de Joker fue revelada al final Ilana Rockwell Traducida por Laura Solsona Joker, lanzado el 4 de octubre, fue un gran éxito en la taquilla, obteniendo un récord de 93,5 millones de dólares en su primer fin de semana de estreno en los EE.UU. Usando el poder estelar de Joaquin Phoenix, quien a menudo es reconocido como uno de los mejores actores de la generación , y la enorme reputación que el icónico villano de Batman trae consigo, sólo se espera.

La película muestra a Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), un comediante que vive en Gotham City, que es famoso por sus dificultades económicas y altos índices de criminalidad. Trabaja como un payaso para contratar durante el día y consecuente lucha para encajar en un grupo. Fleck también tiene una condición que induce una carcajada histérica, lo cual lo aísla aún más de la sociedad.

Se considera asimismo intimidado, oprimido y lentamente desciende a la locura, convirtiéndose en la figura notable

Advertising: For information about advertising rates in print or on the web, please contact us at: verdetm@nv.ccsd.net

The Staff:

Catch a mistake?

Did we mess up? If you catch an error, email us at verdetm@nv.ccsd.net, and we will run a correction.

News Editor

Share your thoughts Submit your letters to the editor, thoughts and articles to

Opinion Editor

verdetm@nv.ccsd.net

Editor-in-Chiefs

Hana Helfand & Isabel Hillers Laura Solsona

Entertainment Editor

Ilana Rockwell Cody Johnson Sports Editor

Derek Raridon

conocida como Joker para todos los fanáticos de Batman.

La actuación de Phoenix fue espectacular, demostrando una profundidad completamente nueva a un personaje que ha tenido representaciones tan notables antes, con actores como Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, Jack Nicholson y Cesar Romero. Con esos zapatos tan grandes que llenar, Phoenix aún pudo ofrecer una actuación extraordinaria que simultáneamente proporcionó una perspectiva completamente nueva al distinguido personaje y creó una historia coherente en todas las películas de Batman. Si bien la mayoría de las historias de origen simplemente brindan el trasfondo a un personaje bien conocido, esta película fue tan impactante que le dio a cualquier versión del Joker a lo largo del tiempo un punto de vista completamente nuevo y una mayor profundidad.

Para terminar de leer el artículo puedes ir a la pagina web del Grizzly Growler, www.thegrizzlygrowler.org

Pro/Con Editor

Noa Ortega

Head cartoonist

Jocelynn Estrada Español Editor

Laura Solsona Copy Editor

Jessica Bui

Photo Editor

Emilia Mason Advisor

Ms. Tara Verderosa

6

news

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

deceMBER 6, 2019

Exchange students reflect on education differences Sage Koebcke Assistant News Editor Foreign exchange students are exploring American culture through integration into Nevada public schools. Coming from countries around the globe, they engage themselves in the lifestyle of a teen in their host countries. This school year, there are two foreign exchange students attending Spring Valley High School.

Anton Lopez de Guerena Fernandez de Heredia was born in Madrid, Spain and has been in the United States since August. He has enjoyed his life in America from the start.

“I’m doing a lot of things, visiting all of the city and discovering the culture of this country,” Guerena Fernandez said.

Even though he enjoys the food, the thing that confuses him the most is the schedule of average meal times.

“I’ve been here for almost two months, but I still don’t know when I’m having dinner or when breakfast and lunch are,” Guerena Fernandez said. “I guess the schedules are completely different … in Spain, I used to have dinner at [eleven o’clock].”

Seeing how people use cars more often surprised Guerena Fernandez.

School in Las Vegas also has many different aspects than his experience in

Therapy

continued from page 1

experience has been harder for her to define. Though she started attending therapy due to family issues and failed attempts to find solace through counselors, therapy wasn’t what ultimately helped her open up about her mental health.

“Therapy has helped me –– I’m not gonna say it never helped me,” the student said. “The thing is … I go to therapy ... once a week, and I go home, and my family don’t change. I still have to endure the yelling and screaming and stuff. Then I go to therapy again, and fix myself, and I break myself all over again. Fix, break, fix, break. And then, at this point, it’s useless.”

Following therapy, the student started opening up to friends about her struggles after the death of a close friend and a stint in the hospital. She said that the people she’s observed mainly share their deepest emotions with those they trust, but that hasn’t stopped others from taking a more public approach. “[Teenagers] sometimes joke about mental health, and, you know, I don’t blame them,” she said. “They’re trying to turn their mental health, their darkness, into something [comedic] or something positive.”

One major influence on teens’ openness is social media, which allows for an interconnectedness that wasn’t as available to previous generations, according to many students.

If people are feeling down, they can post about it on Instagram and receive waves of support from friends and followers alike. Spring Valley, for example, has an Instagram confessions account for students to share their innermost thoughts and feelings.

“A lot of people would say social media [impacts mental health], and I agree,” Obine said. “That’s the main thing we’re exposed to, but also … it could be what you’re consuming or your family, your

Emilia Mason Foreign exchange students, Anton Lopez de Guerena Fernandaz and Lelia Tiranti represent their home countries while attending Spring Valley High School.

Spain.

“Everything is much bigger, there are a lot of subjects to choose from, and the system is different too,” Guerena Fernandez said. “In Spain, we don’t choose every one of our subjects and don’t have A and B days, but our level is higher. In chemistry, I’m doing things I did three years ago in Spain, but I think the level is higher here.”

In his home country of Spain, he has a lot of traditions that differ from the United States, but there are some similarities as well.

“We have a lot of holidays because all the saints of the Catholic religion have their own day,” Guerena Fernandez said.

“In Spain, on Christmas Day, we eat

roast lamb. We have Santa Claus, but also the wise men … who are supposed to give the presents … and [Christmas] is on January 6.”

Lelia Tiranti is from Bra, Italy, and wanted to come to the U.S. to experience new things and improve her English.

Similar to Spain, there are a lot of differences in school systems.

“In my high school in Italy, it lasts five years.” Tiranyi said. “You are assigned to a class and to companions who will last you those 5 years, we have three different types of high schools: The first two are specific and very similar to the American college … Then there is another kind that is practical and prepares you for the world.”

own social life. … Depending on where you come from, the idea of therapy or … dealing with mental health could completely just be disregarded, and then you don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

Social media, however, can also negatively impact mental health by creating feelings of isolation or insufficiency. Sophomore Sarah Friedland said that social media can lead to peer pressure and substance abuse.

And the widespread reachability of media can lead to stress and fear.

According to the APA survey, 75% of Gen Zs said that school shootings cause stress, and more than two-thirds of total respondents reported that the “nation’s future” is a stressor for them.

“You have to realize that people have gotten more aggressive,” said Friedland, who stated that therapy helps her open up about her feelings. “If we’re scared to go to school, we’re scared for a reason. … Yeah, school shootings ... happened in your generation, but there has been many so far this year. And it’s just a huge, major thing with our generation.”

This newfound openness diverges from the stigma that surrounded therapy in previous generations. According to sophomore counselor John Tyler, these conversations wouldn’t have happened when he was in high school.

“What’s interesting is, when I was in high school, I don’t remember any of this,” Tyler said. “I never saw my counselor. … We never had class lessons from the counselor.

They never talked to us about mental health. They never talked to us about any of that. So it was absent when I was in high school.”

Tyler became a counselor five years ago after realizing that teaching didn’t give him the time to help students work through their problems. Though Tyler mainly helps students with absences or grade checks, he said that he’ll still get two to three students a week who come in seeking resources for their mental health. Weeks before exams and holidays are especially busy, according to Tyler, as stress levels

about grades and family heighten.

“I have students that self refer, that will come in and say, ‘I am feeling really anxious about this. How can I get better, or how can I move past this?’” Tyler said. “I have students that have come in and said, ‘I think I have depression.’

And then I’ve been able to help facilitate them seeing someone outside of school or helping them have conversations with their parents about it. So I think the conversation now is extremely beneficial and helpful.”

The main thing many students want people to know about therapy is that it isn’t

Tiranti was surprised by the food and the holidays in America, along with the schooling system and how early students are employed.

“I’m surely surprised by the food. It’s very different, everything is packaged and not fresh,” Tiranti said. “Another thing that surprised me was how the holidays are taken seriously. For example, two weeks ago I decorated the house for the fall with my host mom. I look forward to seeing what we do at Christmas.”

Her favorite things about the U.S. so far are the sports and the city, but she was really surprised when almost no one recycled and not a lot of people were into climate change. Tiranti misses the food back in her home country, but most importantly, she misses her friends and her family.

Being a classmate to Tiranti, junior Luz Ahumada Rivera believes that it has taught her a lot.

“Having a foreign exchange student has been a fun learning experience,” Rivera said. “I’ve learned about how different our lifestyles are as teenagers.

We’ve talked about the similarities and differences between our cultures, traditions, activities and the ways our schools are different.”

a statement or a “phase,” according to the anonymous student. She and Friedland agreed that different times call for different responses to mental health, and for many teens, therapy could mean the difference between life or death.

“Getting help and going to therapy is very important,” Obine said. “It’s definitely like attacking a problem right when it happens because, if you were to let a mental health issue fester over time, it could lead to severe damage, and it’s a lot harder to move back from that, rather than to just attack something head-on when you first realize something’s wrong.”

december 6, 2019

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

Baby Yodas take over campus

Q

editorial

7

GRIZZLIES OF SPRING VALLEY What is one thing you wish your teachers knew?

“I wish my teachers understood the amount of stress and pressure that comes with my education. While I do appreciate everything they do, I wish they knew how much effort and hard work genuinely goes into what I submit. While it may not be my best, it’s the best I can muster in the moment.”

— Junior Melissa Zavala

Cody Johnson

Sta f f edi tor i al

Dear Teachers, here’s what we want you to know about us Every generation of teachers and students will have different priorities. There will always be opposing viewpoints and a lack of understanding from both sides, whether it’s education-related or otherwise. The Grizzly Growler shared a poll on Instagram that asked students to share what they want their teachers to know.

Dear Teachers, here’s what students have to say: We understand that the workload may not be that hard for your class, but we do attend eight other classes that we want to do well in.

This isn’t us complaining, it’s genuinely stressful learning eight different sets of material at once while juggling every other aspect of our social, mental and family lives. They all demand just as much time. Plus, the material is new to us, so it takes longer for us than for you, who has studied it for years.

“If you don’t speak, you don’t get an ‘A’” is impossible.

Its not that we can’t talk, but classes are just too large. There aren’t enough things to say that are educated, well-thought out, and relevant. Not to mention, students who are shy would rather take an ‘F’ than be forced to speak, along with those few students who will always have their hand up for every question. It’s a tactic that is flawed; if this is important to you, set it so everyone gets to speak once so we can all succeed.

Sometimes my emotions are off, but nothing is seriously wrong.

High School can be emotionally rough, and with the increase of mental health issues, some days we can feel off and out of place in class. We can’t go to the nurse for emotions, and we don’t want to talk about it to counselors. If a student seems dazed, unfocused, silent, jittery or unusual, it’s likely that the student is going through something emotionally or mentally. If you see your student displaying behavior you know is signalling that something is off, pull them aside, and offer to let them go take a break. Or just let them talk, sometimes having someone reach out to us instead of vice versa allows them to feel safer and trust you.

Just because we’re talking doesn’t mean we aren’t paying attention.

Spring Valley holds around 2,600 students, and each of them may have a different way of learning. While it may seem that students don’t care when talking in class, it’s likely that they are paying attention, but they also need a distraction. Also, “everything off your desk” can hurt those who need to draw or distract themselves to concentrate.

Also, lunch isn’t really a time to “meet and develop friendships.” It’s easier in class when you can discuss similar topics, make jokes about the class and work on projects and worksheets together. Now, this doesn’t mean you should let us talk to the point of extreme noise or distraction, but whispered chatting isn’t going to hurt anyone.

School isn’t our entire life, and

neither are our extracurriculars We have a social, family, school and an extracurricular life to deal with.

While you may only assign one hour of homework, that could mean we have up to eight hours worth of homework from all our classes. Family life is always a requirement, which means we have no time for social and outside life. Our education is important to us, it’s part of our future, but so is every other piece. Being social is part of our mental health, and having a life.

Engagement in your class is your fault. Not ours.

There are always going to be teachers and students who don’t get along. And that isn’t your fault, but engagement in your class is in your control. Those first few weeks of having you as a teacher impact everything we know. If you start by being considerate, despite your subject, students are more likely to focus beacause the enviroment feels safer.Students care about teachers who seem to care about them.

We don’t expect the world of you, and we understand that your job is one of the most difficult jobs.

But we do ask you to consider what we have to say. We can be immature sometimes and ask for strange things, but students have to go to school every day for four years to prepare for our futures, so while these may seem like small things, added up, they make a difference.

“I wish my teachers understood that people have more than just school and that the one kid who doesn’t finish his work might not just be lazy but might have other problems that are more important in life.”

— Freshman Michael Quiroc

“I actually want to be here even though I don’t look like it.”

— Sophomore Kellan AdamsDayquioag

“I wish my teachers knew that my silence doesn’t mean I’m shy. It’s because life’s complicated,and I’m stressed out of my mind.”

— Senior Mary Mendez

8

Opinion

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

december 6, 2019

Pro/Con:

Self Diagnosis

PRO: Me, Myself and I know best Noa Ortega Pro/Con Editor It’s time to stop the stigma against self-diagnosis. As much as the media likes to present those who self-diagnose as internet-addicted teenagers frantically Googling terms to make themselves unique, some of the people who rely on some form of self-diagnosis could not be further from that.

People of color self-diagnose. People of all ages self-diagnose. People without supportive families self-diagnose. People in poverty self-diagnose. People who are all of these things, or none, or only some, self-diagnose.

And to some medical professionals, that’s perfectly fine. In some cases, it is even encouraged. If you go to your general practitioner and state, for example, “I believe I have schizophrenia because of these reasons,” not only will you be expressing your symptoms, but you will also encourage conversation between yourself and your doctor. Even if you are wrong, you make it much easier to find the correct answer and get the treatment you deserve.

Even with all the information required to seek diagnosis, many people live in homes that do not believe in mental illness or treatment for it. As a minor, your rights are essentially dictated by your legal guardian. Minors cannot schedule appointments without their guardian. They cannot see a therapist or get medication

without a parent’s permission. Without professional support, self-diagnosis can help these teens find coping mechanisms they wouldn’t have otherwise discovered.

On average, more boys than girls are diagnosed with autism or ADHD, though many scientists theorize that the number of male and female autism is roughly equal. Diagnosis rates are even lower in dark-skinned individuals, yet race doesn’t seem to play an effect on who has it,

according to research.

What this all means is exactly what most minorities have been saying for years: Doctors are biased and are just as capable of racism, homophobia and sexism as any other human being. Ultimately, you cannot completely trust a doctor to be accurate in how they treat you because of those biases.

Continuing the ex-

ample of autism, adults who are professionally diagnosed with autism run the risk of being forcibly hospitalized, having their children taken, being denied jobs or housing and more. They’re still autistic, but does having the note on their medical records actually help them in the long run?

The National Autistic Society states clearly on their website that “it is up to you whether you decide to seek a diagnosis, and some people are happy to remain self-diagnosed.”

Treatment is expensive, and health insurance barely covers basic therapy and medications. Oftentimes, people cannot get diagnosed because of the price barrier. What good is a professional diagnosis if you cannot afford treatment, save for a permanent mark on your medical records?

Being professionally diagnosed has its benefits and its drawbacks, and the process of becoming so is a personal decision for the individual involved. Sometimes, those who are otherwise perfectly capable of seeking a professional diagnosis choose not to, and that is a choice for only them to make.

Mental illness is a beast of its own. Why judge those who take a different approach to defeat it?

CON: Dr. Google is not licensed Cody Johnson Opinion Editor Breaking news! Googling your symptoms doesn’t substitute a diagnosis. Stop telling your friends you have undiagnosed disorders. Those mood swings are not bipolar disorder, it’s just part of being an emotionally unbalanced teenager.

While some teens do suffer from mental disorders and illnesses, they seek out professionals to get help with their serious problems. It’s time to face reality. Google doesn’t have the answer to a mental disorder. Giving problems a name may be comforting and help professionals get a better idea of what may be happening, but it can have damaging effects.

Diagnosing yourself doesn’t always mean that you don’t have a mental disorder. With teenage stress today, it’s very likely that you do. Diagnosing yourself might just cover up what may actually be the problem, whether that is another illness or disorder, or a pressing factor in your life. Masking your problems can cause a number of worse problems, taking the weight off of reality and placing it on something you may or may not have.

There’s a reason psychologists spend years getting their degrees. They’re trained to understand the psychology of human minds and help; they don't only diagnose people, but they give a proper care method that can fluctuate person-to-person. YouTube therapists and pages aren’t going to give you the proper care methods and answers you need. Whether this is done because of lack of funds to seek proper help or other reasons, what good is truly coming from that? When you diagnose yourself, you don’t know the proper methods, medications, etc. to deal with said illness; you merely put a name to what is likely an average life problem.

You can stop assuming you’re a sociopath after watching Shane Dawson’s Jake Paul series. Diagnosing yourself is a scary thing to do, and it’s even scarier when you diagnose yourself with things that have physical effects. For example, OCD, schizophrenia and even major depressive disorder have serious symptoms. Believing these symptoms can lead you to think that way, and you'll be experiencing symptoms you’ve never had before under the placebo effect.

Being depressed and having depres-

sion are not the same thing. Depression is a state of mind that you cannot escape because of a chemical imbalance. Feeling depressed is a similar state of mind that is often caused by a current event or situation presented in life. It’s a similar situation with OCD and perfectionism. The characteristics are similar, but the genuine mental imbalance is a very serious defining factor. Being anxious or shy about a lot of things does not mean you have an anxiety disorder. You may have anxiety from the current events or certain situations, but an anxiety disorder is a much more complicated thing.

Please take mental illnesses more seriously than wanting to put a label on your unfamiliar feelings.

Now, if you are truly concerned, and you are told that your symptoms are not real or correct by a professional, that’s a different case. To diagnose

yourself is to take away the work and job that professionals do, thereby making someone's job or illness less significant and possibly threatening your own sanctity without knowing. Safety and honesty are more important than a label that cannot do anything for you.

december 6, 2019

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

opinion

9

Schools should stop celebrating one belief system Isabel Hillers Co-Editor-in-Chief It was the end of November, right before break, and my class hosted a party.

I sat quietly in my seat, watching every other student pull out a list of things they were thankful for to share in front of the class. I listened patiently and apart from the others until my classmates grew restless over wanting to know why I was not participating. All of the looks hurt me socially and even physically during times like St. Patrick’s Day. I told them multiple times that I don’t celebrate holidays because of my religion, which is something I’ve been never ashamed of. Still, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t feel some embarrassment as each of my classmates grew silent with confusion after I explained.

I receive the same questions and sorry looks from people in high school too.

It doesn’t come as a surprise, though, because the way celebrations are integrated into classrooms teaches students that there is only one way to go about the holiday season. Instances like this are why schools should foster an education that teaches children tolerance for those who do not celebrate holidays or for those who do not recognize the most popular ones.

I’ve spent 11 years in the public school system, and over time, I’ve grown more and more detached from every holiday celebration. I’m not the slightest bit embarrassed to tell others that I can’t participate in something. However, I’ve always been disappointed in the way schools incorporate the holidays into classes.

Students grow up in classrooms that greet holidays like Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day with themed parties and non-educational afternoons. I can fully understand why a child would have a hard time comprehending why a person would sit out on the classroom fun. It’s also why, when they become teenagers and adults, the idea of celebrating those holidays is just natural.

The same type of thing in November also happened every October, and I knew it would happen in December too.

Jocelynn Estrada

I still like to think my justification for not celebrating Christmas was pretty clever, though.

“No, I get presents whenever want,” I’d tell them. “I don’t need to wait for my birthday or Christmas.”

I’m not offended by the fact that schools recognize the most popular Christian holidays, and I understand that the majority rules. Not everyone can be pleased, and most people do partake in those celebrations at home. What I don’t understand is why there is absolutely no time being devoted to learning during holiday-related activities.

Most people have no idea why they celebrate what they do, where it comes from or what its history is. Something so prevalent in a person’s life, such as a holiday, should be the kind of thing they are educated on. Not only that, but if teachers started showing their students that it’s also

normal — and equally acceptable — to not participate in the same holidays as the majority of people, there would be more toleration for the difference.

Similarly, high schools should progress this knowledge by approaching holidays with the idea that not everyone will be willing to participate. Knowing about the origins could also help students understand why a person may not agree with the practice.

The education on holiday tolerance is also a matter of safety. I lived St. Patrick’s Day in fear for eight years because I was not allowed to wear green, and my peers took that as an opportunity to pinch or hit me, as is customary for the holiday. I never understood why this was acceptable, but the welts and bruises on my arms and legs should’ve been enough of a testament to spark changes in the attitudes of schools.

Time has passed, and while this behavior

may not be tolerated in high school, the same students who took the liberty to harm me then are the ones still disrespecting my choices now.

Teachers and classmates apologize to me whenever I tell them about my holiday situation. Apologizing just tells me that there is something sad or wrong about my choice to not do what most other people are used to. I’ve been asked if I’m just going to change religions after saying I’m not having a birthday party or that I can’t exchange Christmas gifts.

There is nothing to be sorry about, though. Apologizing tells me that there is something wrong or sad about my choices.

That, schools, teachers and students, is why an education that teaches understanding of different holidays, or lack thereof, is so important.

A couple celebrities short of a reality TV show Aida-Madeleine N'Diaye Staff Writer Quality over quantity is an idea that seems to have lost its value. In the film industry, directors would rather have a large amount of views, brought in by talentless celebrities, over a quality movie.

It gives them more viewers for higher prices, but it gives us worse quality. For some odd reason, it has become more common to see people who are not actors in films, including singers and athletes for the sole reason of getting attention.

In the newly released movie "Hustlers," directed by Lorene Scafaria, Cardi B is featured in a lead role, even though her fame comes from music. Watching the movie could have been a blast, but it was obvious that she is a singer, not an actress.

Giving someone with no professional background in acting a starring role was a risky move. Most actors go through the audition process so that directors can see if they are capable of playing the role but in

rare occasions, well known actors will have a “free pass” because they are famous from another profession.

In this case, Cardi B was personally asked to be in the film. The only acting experience Cardi had was being on the reality TV show "Love & HipHop: New York," which is generally real reactions and lightly scripted for dramatic reasons. Scafaria also includes actors like G-Eazy and Usher.

In the live-action film of The Lion King, directed by Jonathan Favreau, the same problem presents itself.

In the original cartoon "Lion King," Nala's character is important, but certainly not the star; Simba. his father, Mufasa; and the villain, Scar, are the leads in the film. In the live action version, Nala has a much bigger role due to the actress playing her, Beyonce.

Although Beyonce has past acting experience, this is no excuse to inflate the role of her character. Other characters should be prioritized over Nala’s character, despite not being played by Beyonce. Rotten Tomatoes, the critic organization that rates

Disney Beyonce beside the character she plays in the movie "The Lion King," Nala.

movies, gave the live action movie a 53% rating. Claiming that this version is more Shakespearean then intended and that it

lacks the heart of the original. This could very well be due to not having “actual” actors.

10

sports

december 6, 2019

december 6, 2019

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

entertainment

11

Joker’s smile is unveiled after all Ilana Rockwell Entertainment Editor Joker, released October 4, was a smashing success in the box office, earning a record breaking 93.5 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. Using the star power of Joaquin Phoenix, who is often referenced as one of the best actors of the new generation, and the massive reputation that the iconic Batman villain brings with it, it was only expected.

The movie showcases Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a struggling comedian living in Gotham City, which is renowned for its economic hardships and high crime rates. He works as a clown for-hire during the day and consistently struggles to fit in. Fleck also has a condition that induces hysterical laughter, which isolates him from society. He considers himself bullied and oppressed and slowly descends into madness, eventually becoming the notable figure known as Joker to all Batman fans.

Phoenix’s acting was spectacular, bringing an entirely new depth to a character that has had such notable representations before, with actors such as Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, Jack Nicholson and Cesar Romero. With such big shoes to fill, Phoenix was still able to give an extraordinary performance that simultaneously provided a whole new perspective to the distinguished character and created a cohesive storyline throughout all the Batman movies.

While most origin stories simply deliver the background to a well known character, this movie was so impactful that it gave any version of the Joker throughout time a brand new viewpoint and added depth.

The cinematography and music was equally as breathtaking. It gave the whole movie a new level of excellence, raising it from a good story to a beautiful piece of artistic genius. For example, there is a wide shot of Fleck walking up the stairs in his miserable, everyday life after picking up his antipsychotic medicine from the local pharmacy. The entire scene gives off

Warner Bros. Pictures Arthur Fleck, portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is a clown during the day, which develops into the iconic white makeup and green hair that the Joker is so famous for.

a sorrowful and dejected feeling, with cool tones and no music. A few scenes later, after Fleck stops taking his medication and covers himself in full clown makeup and a bold red suit, he dances down the exact same staircase to Gary Glitter’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll (Part 2),” a stadium anthem from the ‘70s.

The setting seems almost entirely different and perfectly personifies Fleck’s mood. The entirety of the soundtrack has some nod to smiling and clowns, which is admirably reflective of the character, with renowned songs such as “Send in the Clowns” by Frank Sinatra, “Smile” by Jimmy Durante, and “If You’re Happy And You Know It” by Chaim Tenenbaum.

Joker has had a substantial amount of controversy surrounding it, with police coming to some opening showings to prevent any incidents and assuage public fear after

the Aurora shooting, where a Joker fanatic mass killed at a movie theater showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012. Audiences were worried that the origin story might overly praise the murderer and villain. In fact, one of the last scenes of the movie that was largely publicized in trailers shows some Gotham residents lifting Joker up and praising him after he caused havoc around the city. However, what is true art if it doesn’t challenge its audiences?

With such an incredible build up, the ending to Joker was subpar. It showed Fleck enrolled in a mental institution and being chased around by the authorities.

While the intention to give a comical ending to the clown-themed film is understandable, it felt more like an oversimplification of the character that tried, and succeeded, in having many layers.

He became a one-dimensional “crazy”

person who enjoyed mayhem, as opposed to the in-depth mentally ill and furious citizen of a shattered society, all in a few simple moments. Although, the scene directly before appeared to treat Joker as almost an idol and equated his actions to those of the revolutionary lower class.

The movie failed to find a middle ground resolution that could satisfy the excellence of its beginning.

The movie also seemed very repetitive in some moments. While a few scenes of Fleck uncontrollably laughing in his dark room with a gun in hand is incredibly intriguing, these appeared far too often.

This gave the movie the appearance of being extremely slow paced because of the numerous scenes which, while beautiful, do not provide the audience with any new information about the progression of the story or the character.

New set of Charlie’s Angels get reimagined Malia Caliva Staff Writer There are high hopes for the new version of the Charlie’s Angels series, as it explores female empowerment and the extraordinary abilities women can possess, as opposed to the many previous versions which thrived on the sexual exploitation of women. It has a strong cast and gives them the chance to develop a relationship with the characters, rather than just a series of well-choreographed fights with women in their underwear.

Choosing Kristen Stewart to portray Sabrina Wilson was an interesting choice, with many having not seen her on the big screen for an extensive period of time.

Her reputation of emotionless and bland acting precedes her, yet in the few trailers released so far, she truly portrays herself as a strong and independent woman which provides a refreshing perspective to audiences, as an alternative to her customary love interest role, as seen in her blockbuster hits such as Twilight (2008) and Snow White and the Huntsman (2012).

The new set of Angels also features Naomi Scott as Elena Houghlin, a quirky

newbie who just joined the covert group of exceptional women. Elena Balinska as Jane Kano is Wilson’s sidekick and in the trailer, a potential love interest for Langston (Noah Centineo), who’s deemed to be another handsome nerd. They are all led by a woman version of Bosley, portrayed by Elizabeth Banks. The main motive for their mission is not exceedingly apparent in the trailer, but it is clear that they target rich and sinful men.

Director Elizabeth Banks made this movie as an extension to the entire series, not as a remake of the previous movies. However, audience reactions are skeptical given that it is going to be difficult living up to the two previous movies that were iconic in their own ways.

The trio for the first movie consists of Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett. The following contains Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, and Drew Barrymore. Both versions consisted of iconic line-ups with recognizable and adored celebrities, which is what this film is lacking.

Another thing about this 2019 extension is the fact that it seems that there are three Bosleys in the film. Bosley’s role with the Angels is a crucial one, as he’s the

connection between them and the big boss, but it’s hard for people to grasp the movie’s purpose for creating three of the same character. However, this movie plays with the idea of a global reach with Charlie’s Angels as an organization, which could be the possible reasoning behind this choice.

One more aspect that weakens the probability of this movie becoming a hit with the public is the fact that there is a 16-year gap between this movie and the previous Charlie’s Angels movies.

The two previous movies are established as almost a cult classic, making it difficult for this to be seen as anything more than a remake.

This can be very difficult because many people seeing the trailer now are not happy because they unknowingly created a bias with the older movies. Regardless of these limitations, many people are still lining up to watch it because of the interest it piques and audiences are desperate to see if it will fail or not. Additionally, because the expectations are so low, viewers might be pleasantly surprised by the film.

One thing this film has done right without a doubt is the choices they made for the soundtrack. Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus,

Columbia Pictures Charlie’s Angels played by Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Elena Balinska grosses 51.6 million in worldwide box offices.

and Lana Del Rey teamed up to do a debut single for the film. On top of that, Grande let everyone know that she was an executive producer for the entire soundtrack.

These artists are powerful, recognizable and adored by many. With their support, it’s likely many fans will watch to just hear their beloved artist’s music played.

12

entertainment

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

december 6, 2019

88rising reinvents Asian music scene Jessica Cabrera Web Editor In the past few years, Asian representation in pop culture has been growing steadily. However, the instances where a cast of solely Asian artists collaborate to create content in Western societies are few and far between. Most of the time, these artists are scattered, but this is starting to change. 88rising is a mass media company that is dedicated to the representation of Asian music artists in hip-hop, rap and indie music. 88rising has contracts with notable artists such as Joji, Rich Brian and NIKI; and their influence is growing. The rising label has not won any awards, but it is well on its way to becoming majorly successful.

Their second album, “Head in the Clouds II,” highlights exactly what the hip-hop scene needs: more representation. 88rising is a vital platform to elevating Asian representation within entertainment. Having a media company that exists exclusively to promote Asian artists gives the population a chance to seek success in a field that they previously had little opportunity in. By extension, introducing foreign artists into a mainly American music platform integrates an entire community that is generally ignored in American pop culture.

The most groundbreaking aspect of the album involves the Chinese hip-hop group, the Higher Brothers. Their songs on the album are in Mandarin and Sichuanese and celebrate Chinese culture. Through 88rising, the Higher Brothers became the first Chinese hip-hop group to garner international success. The Higher Brothers’ approach to composing music removes the exotification that Asians have historically faced. They bring their culture into a genre that is more accessible to Western audiences, without allowing their content to be Westernized. They have succeeded in their mission to expose the world to Chinese culture through this medium, and this album is a testament to that.

88rising Japanese-Australian R&B artist Joji, and K-pop idol Jackson Wang in 88rising’s “Walking” music video, which generated 10 million views in two weeks.

The variety of artists and styles in the album prevent the album from being boring, but it manages to maintain a single vision. 88rising released a music video for the song “Walking” with Joji and Korean pop artist Jackson Wang, featuring Swae Lee & Major Lazer. The song itself captures the essence of a summer pool party with its upbeat tones. It brought together two genres, introducing K-pop to R&B listeners and vice versa. “Walking” steps away from the more somber tones of Joji’s solo music, giving the listeners a final summer tune.

It also provides an interesting hip-hop music video - featuring Joji in a lobster suit fighting Wang in a mech suit.

Japanese-Australian singer George “Joji” Miller started his career on YouTube with “TVFilthyFrank” in 2014. He played the character of “Pink Guy” and used

this as an outlet for his passion for music composition. The videos are wildly vulgar, but this shifted when he announced the end of this YouTube channel in 2017 due to health conditions. He surprised his viewers when he began a music career that took a much more serious tone, with his first EP, “In Tongues,” being centered around heartbreak. “In Tongues” was released under Empire Distribution, but he joined 88rising in “Ballads 1” in 2018. He scored Billboard Top 100 with “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” and Top 10 in R&B. Idonesian rapper Rich Brian gained popularity on YouTube through his song “Dat $tick” in 2016. He went on to release his album “Amen” under 88rising. He completed his “Sailor” tour in North America, and he is currently on a Europe tour. He is not just loved for his music but also for his

personality. He embraces his Indonesian origins, with his first song raising awareness about Indonesian poverty.

Entertainment featuring Asians is difficult to find in mainstream Western culture.

While certain genres, such as K-pop, have gained popularity, only a few groups have a widespread international market. There are people who refuse to listen to the music due to a language barrier, but the removal of this boundary allows audiences to be more open to understanding foreign cultural experiences. It also allows Asians to feel more included in the media that they are interested in, and it may inspire other Asian artists to join this music scene. While their prevalence in Western media is still not prevalent, it is safe to say that we are walking in the right direction.

Rex Orange County’s “Pony” marries young and old Ilana Rockwell Entertainment Editor Alexander O’Connor, professionally known as Rex Orange County, released his third studio album, “Pony,” on Oct 25. The album features 10 alternative/ indie songs with soul vocals and dynamic instrumentals.

O’Connor self-released his first album, “Bcos U Will Never Be Free,” at the age of 16, where he caught the attention of rapper Tyler the Creator. He got his break after being featured on Tyler the Creator’s 2017 album “Flower Boy” and then immediately released his second studio album, “Apricot Princess,” which was a huge success. Original fans were concerned that O’Connor’s newfound fame would make him lose his distinctive originality. These concerns were immediately forgotten when “Pony” was released and all the songs on the album showcased a new and different side of his musical abilities.

O’Connor sang about being young and in love, about getting older and yet somehow not being old enough, about being a comic-book superhero and stressing out.

Every song had thoughtful lyrics with a charmingly young sound. The melodies

were embellished with many horn and string arrangements, giving the album a classic and timeless appeal. Despite the prominence of the instrumentals, most songs seem to feel acoustic, making the 21-year-old singer seem raw, and it allows audiences to truly connect.

The seventh track on the album, “Pluto Projector,” features lyrics such as “Everything I thought I’d be/What if by the time I realize/It’s too far behind to see,” whih denote reflective tones, yet the song has soft piano and subtle beats that juxtapose the intensity of the song beautifully. It also leaves room for O’Connor’s extraordinary voice to shine through, in the most ballad-like song on the album.

The final track, “It’s Not The Same Anymore,” ends the album on a surprisingly melancholy note, as opposed to the mostly optimistic album. The song itself is six minutes and 27 seconds, and it suggests O’Connor’s hardships with his growing career. “I lost the joy in my face/My life was simple before/I should be happy, of course/ But things just got so much harder.” While many artists have attempted to explain the negative side of fame, O’Connor is one of the few who was able to articulate it skillfully, with real lyrics and beautiful

Sony Music Entertainment This self-produced album reached No.1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums, marking O’Connor’s first leading position on both lists.

melodies.

Many think that the album sounds too juvenile, which ruins the impactful effect “Pony” was trying to create and can only be expected with an inexperienced artist. However, the simple beats and unconventional background music produce an extremely unique feeling that gives this

album its wow factor. It perfectly conveys how young O’Connor really is and allows for easy listening, yet it simultaneously allows listeners to pay attention to the profound lyrics, which is where his talent truly shines through. This phenomenon only proves O’Connor’s maturity as an artist even further.

december 6, 2019

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

entertainment

13

Double the faces, but half the value Ilana Rockwell Entertainment Editor

“Gemini Man,” released on Oct. 11, grossed a measly $20 million dollars in its opening weekend, putting it on track to be one of Will Smith’s biggest flops at the box office.

The movie, directed by Ang Lee (“Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi”) features Henry Brogan (Will Smith), a 51-year-old elite assassin who is finally ready to retire. His plans get thrown off-course when he becomes the target of an incredibly skilled agent who can seemingly predict his every move.

Brogan soon learns that the operative is a much younger and faster clone of himself. With the help of Danny (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a new recruit to the government organization, and Brogan’s old friend Baron (Benedict Wong), they work to find out who created the mission and why.

The first half of the movie was unexpectedly good. The main storyline was set up superbly, and even when the movie had a series of action scenes that would normally seem overdone and cheap, it was incredibly interesting. This is largely because of the groundbreaking technology that allowed for a much younger version of Will Smith to be the second main character. It also had a surprising amount of profound dialogue and story that gave the movie a new level of depth. Smith’s acting was also very moving, and he was one of the only redeeming qualities of the movie’s ending.

The second half of the movie felt incredibly rushed. The movie tried to bring up the overarching controversy of the morality of cloning, yet it felt extremely

Paramount Pictures Gemini Man, which received a 25 percent rating from Rotten Tomatoes, features Will Smith with revolutionary computer generated-imagery (CGI) technology.

half-hearted. The protagonists were meant to showcase the immoralities of cloning, yet the only convincing argument was brought up by the opposing side, from the supposed antagonist.

The entire theme that the movie tries to depict seems like an afterthought, which was supposed to rely on the emotional depth that Junior, Brogan’s clone, provided, but it mostly fell flat.

After such a large build-up, the climax was entirely unconvincing. It felt as though the writers were out of time and tied all the loose ends into a pretty

bow, as opposed to following the natural progression the characters seemed to be leaning towards.

It also changed its main focus from following Brogan’s desperation to retire and trying to stay alive to Junior’s fight for freedom. The transition felt choppy and destroyed the movie’s coherence.

The head of the cloning operation, Clay Verris (Clive Owen), raised Junior as his son, but by the end of the movie, Junior was ready to kill him because of the lie he told. This quick switch makes the entire situation seem thoughtless

and one dimensional. They had potential to make a morally challenging dilemma and turned it into a black and white, “bad vs. good” issue.

Overall, while the effects, production, and setup were certainly enjoyable, the movie’s attempt to take itself too seriously and inject a message to leave audiences thinking ruined the intelligence of the plot and provided an extremely disappointed and dissatisfied response among viewers across the board.

14

sports

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

december 6, 2019

Looking for a decade of success Derek Raridon Sports Writer

Courtesy of yearbook staff Senior varisty wreslter Coleton Ratliff takes down an opponent from Pahrump Valley High School in a duel on December 3, 2019. The team is looking to continue its tradition of hanging banners in the gym.

With the winter sports in full swing, the wrestling program has its sight on producing another banner-hanging season.

“Of course we’re confident,” coach Fredrick Meyer said. “We’ve hung [nine] banners in 11 years. Every year, we’re in the thick of it. We want to be in the thick of it for the Desert Region Championship. And who knows? Maybe we can compete for a state championship” The wrestlers hope to go back to state and earn a top five finish, with the chance for a possible state championship.

“I think, as a team, we’re going to be not that bad,” junior Angel Osuna said. “We’re gonna have a couple people take first, [and] overall, I think we’re gonna have a successful season.”

The defending state champion for the 106 lbs. weight class, senior Ryan Mitchell, wants to become a two-time state champion, now competing in the 113 lbs. weight class. Other championship hopefuls include

seniors Christian Nishi-Rivera (126 lbs. class), Daniel Histrov (156 lbs. class), Colton Ratliff (170 lbs. class), and juniors Erik Escutia (108 lbs. class), Josh Brooks (138 lbs. class), Osuna (145 pound class), and Jacob Lockowski (170 lbs. class).

“I know the heavyweights are working hard,” Mitchell said. “I’m in a weight class where I can exceed. There’s nobody who can stop us” Many newcomers have joined returners, like senior Ryan Mitchell, to fill the spots of graduated varsity wrestlers and captains.

They have trained to achieve their own success.

“The wrestlers on our team put in a great offseason,” Meyer said. “They lifted weights, competed in tournaments, and we’re ready to go. ... We’re Spring Valley; it’s what we do.”

Their first major match of the season is the Mile High Challenge in Prescott Valley, Arizona, on Jan. 3-4. Then, on Jan. 18-19, the wrestlers will compete in the Doc Wright Tournament in Winslow, Arizona. On Jan. 22, the program will take on Bishop Gorman for their second to last home game of the season.

Stella Gunjevich: The One-Woman Show Krystka Mariano Assistant Opinion Editor Carrying a large reputation of star champions, Spring Valley opens it’s wrestling season with more potential than ever. This time, a new player is expected to make way on the mat –– and she’s a girl.

Stella Gunjevich, a sophomore athlete, prepares herself to debut as the school’s first female wrestler in the program.

“Even when I lose, I know that I’ll learn from the mistakes I make and come out a stronger athlete and person,” Gunjevich said. “Wrestling isn’t typically seen as a ‘girls’ sport,’ and I wanted to be able to prove that’s not the case.”

As a three-sport athlete during her freshman year, Gunjevich’s hyper-active presence in athletics allowed her to channel her natural competitiveness into productivity. From tennis and flag football to swimming, Gunjevich’s growth in a number of sports allows her to experience different athletic perspectives. With her recently finished cross country season, the sophomore now views wrestling as a new challenge that expands her range as an athlete.

While it’s one of the sports that generally doesn’t build off of team skills, wrestling focuses, rather, on an athlete’s individual ability and strength through one-on-one combat. According to Gunjevich, sports like wrestling are large motivators that help aim for the successes that highlight her ability as an individual.

“In sports, there truly is no such thing as perfection –– and there’s always someone out there trying to beat you, Gunjevich said. “It pushes me to keep working, even when I feel like I’ve hit all the limits.”

Though gender in high school doesn’t necessarily take a toll in most co-ed activities, sports such as football

and wrestling generally maintain a masculine- dominated atmosphere and stereotype. Females in a typically male-led activity may seem an unusual circumstance, even at a high school level. It creates a topic about whether or not boundaries and limitations should be created.

However, with the rise of females participating in programs led by males, females in high school wrestling has skyrocketed.

According to the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, the number of girls in high school wrestling soared from 3,400 to 17,000 since 2001. Few states have even sanctioned the sport, making it one of the fastest growing girls’ programs.

Though Nevada has yet to recognize girls’ wrestling as an official high school sport, females in the state compete against boys. Needless to say, programs across the valley make impacts seen at a national level, even female athletes from Nevada’s All-Girls Wrestling Team. Other schools, such as Palo Verde, Sierra Vista and Arbor View, join the trend, facing a growth of female wrestlers.

“Having a female here is a huge step for Spring Valley,” assistant varsity wrestling coach Kevin Busch said.

Wrestlers at Spring Valley have predominantly been male since the beginning of the program, with athletes being recognized as top in the state.

“Stella is going to go into some tough competition, but there’s a lot of good girls like her,” Busch said. “She listens, and she doesn’t hesitate. She just dives right in, which I do appreciate, and I think her dedication and her will-power will make her successful.”

With the season quickly making its approach, the team is set in stone in continuing its legacy as reigning champions in the Southwest Division. For Gunjevich, she, too, hopes her contribution to the team can help work toward another wrestling banner.

Courtesy of Stella Gunjevich Sophomore Stella Gunjevich is the first senior to actively compete on the Spring Valley wrestling team.

Gunjevich also participates in cross country and track and field during the year.

“I hope to show any other females interested in wrestling [or any other sports] that if you want it bad enough and are willing to work for it, you can do it,” she said.

As Gunjevich takes on the physical and mental challenges of a new sport, her potential as a wrestler breaks the

gender barrier. Her step into wrestling is more than just a step on the mat; it’s a new journey in her athletic career and for other females.

“The first step onto the wrestling mat is hard, but once you accomplish that, you’ve already taken the initiative to begin the journey,” Gunjevich said.

december 6, 2019

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

sports

15

Lady Grizzlies aim for state once more Brandon Johnson & Derek Raridon Staff Writer/ Sports Editor With the Women’s Basketball season finally here, last season’s regional champions are ready to fight for another successful season.

“I think that we have a really good basketball team,” varsity coach Billy Hemberger said. “We have the potential to be the best team we’ve ever had.”

Being a top-ranked team in the city last year, the women’s basketball team destroyed almost every team they faced on their way to regional supremacy. This year, the team looks to continue their reign by placing first in the conference and winning the regional and state championships.

“I’m very confident in my team that we’ll get it done,” senior Missy May Grimares Valdez said. “We’re an amazing set of people who can set dreams and achieve them. We all believe in each other.”

This year, the girls ran into a problem that every team goes through: They lost four of their best players who were seniors. But now having a newer and younger team, the girls’ basketball team is ready for any and all challenges that they will face this upcoming season.

“This will be my seventh year coaching

here at Spring Valley, and I love and enjoy the game of basketball, but I also love the relationships that are built from coaching,” Hemberger said.

Over the years, Hemberger built a powerhouse of successful girls’ basketball, with each team improving more and more each year. Also, it isn’t just about basketball for the lady grizzlies; they do many cultural activities to create better team chemistry.

“He has helped us find out who we are as a team and what we want our goals to be,” Valdez said. “[Hemberger is] the head coach, so he helps out tremendously.”

The program has gone through rigorous training to prepare for the season. For intramurals, the athletes had two gym days (where they would work on their skills, such as court awareness, dribbling and shooting skills) and two track days (where they would go out to the track and work on stamina and strength) per week. After tryouts, the team continuously worked on their skills through scrimmages and other drills in practice.

“We prepared for the season by practicing day in and day out and always having a game plan for everything, never being caught caught by surprise,” Valdez said.

William Hemberger The women’s basketball team practices in a scrimmage against Palo Verde at Faith Lutheran High School.

According to Hemberger, there really aren’t any team captains on the team.

Instead, there are the women who continuously push themselves and set the bar higher and higher to get the best out of themselves and their teammates.

These breakout athletes include seniors Chelsea Camara and Valdez, and junior Garrison Freeman.

“Garrison Freeman is a freak of nature, and her heart she has when she is playing is incredible,” Hemberger said.

Men’s basketball poised for successful season Emilia Mason Photo Editor The men’s basketball team prepared for the upcoming 2019-2020 season to continue the legacy of the team. Every varsity, junior varsity and freshmen member is ready to start the season off strong after constant offseason preparation and determination to fuel their performance.

In preseason, the team was ranked in the Top 15 in Nevada. The 2018-2019 Varisty team ranked in the top 15 in the Nevada division 4A rankings and in the top 20 for the Nevada rankings overall.

“Our performance [last year] was really

good; we won 15 games last year with varsity, 18 or 19 with JV, and freshmen won about 18 games as well,” varsity coach Paul Blair said. That was pretty much the kicker of how we are going to do this year, so the program is running smooth.”

A new season means new hardships, and the team is prepared more than ever to overcome these challenges and bounce back. Any setbacks that may have occurred last season are being worked on to be avoided this season.

“I have a great feeling,” senior Amari James said. “We have a lot of good veterans and returning players from last year

and a lot of young guys that play hard.”

The players have prepared by playing club ball, running laps on the track, doing weights and practicing in the CrossFit room and gym constantly. The team has worked hard to strengthen their defense, offense, teamwork and overall performance.

“We have been doing a lot of conditioning and also a lot of skill work and bonding to build more chemistry,” senior Michael Martin said.

While the performance of every team can’t be determined now, the players are confident that the team as a whole will thrive from the hard work of every player.

“I am very confident in this upcoming season,” James said. “I feel that we have been working hard and getting better in the offseason.”

Players acknowledge the growth they’ve made to prevent their worries and challenges from getting to their heads. They want their doubts to remain unfounded.

“I’m feeling very excited about this upcoming season,” senior James Webster said. “I feel like we’re going to do very good this year and shock a lot of teams this season. I’m most looking forward to winning state and proving everyone wrong who doubted us,” Webster said.

Sports

WWW.THEGRIZZLYGROWLER.ORG

Athletes face unique mental health struggles from competition Derek Raridon & Emilia Mason Sports and Photo Editors Senior basketball guard Missy May Grimares Valdez had an experience with the negative side of losing. On Nov. 29, 2017, during her sophomore year, Valdez went against rival program Liberty High School. She started off the game pretty strong, but that began to deteriorate in the second half. According to Valdez, the entire team was off that game; the team just couldn’t make a shot to save their lives during moments of the game, and there seemed to be no chemistry between the team. They wound up being blown out, 68-29.

Losing is a natural part of being an athlete. But while most athletes use loss as a motivator, many also struggle with their mental health as a result. Valdez is a part of a population of student-athletes who suffer from problems including depression, anxiety and eating disorders, perpetuated by their participation in sports.

“I felt a little disappointed in myself because it was a really big game for us, and it was a game we shouldn’t have lost,” Valdez said. “There was a couple of games [where] I just wasn’t feeling it, and the practices just felt like we were going through the motions. I just couldn’t find happiness in what I was doing anymore.”

According to Sports Psychology Today, What Valdez went through is known in the sports world as a performance slump, a period of performance regression due to mental struggles that can manifest into self-esteem issues and pressure to perform well. These periods can be as short as a few days or as long as years.

“Everybody is going through something,”

varsity women’s basketball coach Billy Hemberger said. “Everybody should have the ability to share that with somebody else and not be judged by it. That doesn’t always happen, but it’s something that should be worked on. ... So if, as coaches, we want to be successful, then it’s important to really harp on that stuff.”

According to a 2018 study by the Healthy Minds Network, 36% of college athletes tested positive for some form of depression (28% showing elevated levels of it), 31% showed signs of an anxiety disorder (31% of which were elevated) and 10% showed signs of eating disorders.

These numbers are consistent, or are uptrends, compared to a similar study done by the same organization in 2017; 37% displayed some form of depression (24% elevated), 31% had a form of anxiety disorder (28% elevated) and 10% were positive for some form of eating disorder (33% elevated). These numbers can translate to high school athletes as well, according to Athletic Trainer Shawna Bryant.

“In high school, I would say it’s very stressful,” Bryant said. “You got parents that you have to deal with, who are trying to call you an adult, but you’re not an adult. Then you try to be an adult. And when it rolls over into athletics, trying to stay healthy, all of the late hours, traveling, making sure you have enough food. There’s so many things that go into it, and then you barely know how to take care of your body.”

For junior basketball forward Jordyn Nelson, and many others, his slump was brought on by a season-ending injury.

“I think that’s probably a big portion of kids who are going through things that play

December 6, 2019

16

Emilia Mason

sports,” Hemberger said. “[They] probably stem from a certain injury of them not being able to perform or tying their identity to their performances.”

Last November, Nelson was practicing for the basketball team when, during a scrimmage, Nelson went up for a lay-up and was taken out from the legs. Nelson landed on his wrist awkwardly, breaking it and putting an end to the remainder of his season.

“I was done,” Nelson said. “That [was] another season down because I previously broke my ankle [in] my freshman year, and I was out for the whole summer. [Last year] was the year I was trying to get better.”

Many athletes go through many mental hardships while injured. While going through the recovery process, many athletes said they had time to reflect on the past, which can cause an array of emotions, most of them being negative. In Nelson’s case, he had two main emotions: anger and loneliness.

“It was hard to get over something that happened so quick and easily took everything away,” Nelson said. “It was just very lonely, and no one was there, and I just wasn’t ready for it. It didn’t make sense.”

Track and field runner Noah Roehl had a similar experience.

“I felt like nobody cared, like nobody was really there for me,” Roehl said.

“When I was going through [my slump], there was really no one to talk to. When I tried to talk to someone, they didn’t really pay attention.”

Roehl’s mental slump had similar effects on him, but it wasn’t the result of an injury or loss. His slump was caused by a

mixture of expectations from coaches and peers and something called crowd-induced anxiety.

Crowd-induced anxiety is triggered when a crowd is present. Similar to most mental health problems, there are varying degrees of crowd-induced anxiety.

“The parents, they yell a lot,” Roehl said. “And the fans, they tell you to do stuff. Sometimes, [that] stuff gets to my head. When someone says something like ‘You’re bad,’ or when someone says ‘You need to pass the ball more,’ it really gets me mad because I’m trying to do what I think is the best for the play or for the possession.”

The negative effects of losing, injuries and crowd-influenced anxiety paint sports as a breeding ground for mental health problems. But while there are issues caused by sports, they can also be a positive influence on student athletes as well.

“When it comes to high school, I think having a support staff is huge,” Bryant said. “As you’re growing up, you need to have that support staff. I think that the teamwork and being able to rely on somebody, trust, building the friendships is the biggest mental aspect of the sport.”

Athletes can also build trust, confidence and friendships while participating in sports, which can help an athlete build a support system according to Bryant.

“How many other people could say that they’ve got a set of people who are technically designated their friends, but they’re not on a team,” Bryant said. “Unless you join a club or you’re like a thespian, you can’t say that you have those friends you can always count on. Athletics helps you build those friendships.”